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The Attic Orators

More than mere prose, Attic oratory consists of a rich body of literature in which style was paramount to its persuasive aims, and provides vital evidence for Athenian culture, politics, mores, institutions, thought, and history. This course will survey a representative-and important-sample of forensic, epideictic, and symbouleutic speeches from classical Athenian oratory, and will give special attention to the social, legal and political context of these speeches. In addition, the class will focus on improving students' command of syntax, vocabulary and idiom as the basis for further development as well as the study of different orators and their style. PREREQUISITES: GREEK 318C OR PERMISSION OF THE INSTRUCTOR AND SOPHOMORE STANDING OR ABOVE.